[Peace-discuss] Today's News-Gazette

[Jan & Durl Kruse]

Local event planned in conjunction with one in Chicago
By Paul Wood

Wednesday October 24, 2007

CHAMPAIGN – Champaign is one of many cities, including Chicago, that  
will celebrate a "De-Fund The War" rally Saturday.

Some 35 to 50 local residents will leave at 10:30 a.m. for Chicago; a  
local rally will be held before and after that at North Prospect Avenue  
and West Marketview Drive, just north of Interstate 74, said Durl Kruse  
of Urbana, one of the organizers.

The Chicago event begins at 1:30 p.m. at Chicago's Union Park.

According to AWARE, the Anti-War, Anti-Racism Effort, parking is  
available at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, 1904 N. Prospect Ave.  
Lowe's manager Matt Cihi said the remote spots are available.

Kruse said the rally will serve as an "alternative point of view"  
event, to coincide with the Pro-America Rally scheduled for the same  
time, immediately to the south.

Kruse said there will be large, regional anti-war demonstrations in  
Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Orlando,  
Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle.

The national event is timed to come shortly before Congress is expected  
to vote on another supplemental funding bill, according to organizers.

Sponsors of the local rally include AWARE, Iraq Veterans Against the  
War and Campus Anti-war Network.

Martin Smith, a former Marine sergeant who serves as Midwest  
coordinator for the Iraq veterans group, said he understands the  
feelings of post-Sept. 11 Americans who want to fight terrorism.

But since leaving the service, Smith said, he was dismayed with  
arguments for starting and prolonging the war in Iraq.

"They told us about weapons of mass destruction, then they changed  
their story," he said.

Smith, a University of Illinois grad student, said he is also concerned  
with extensions of service time in the Iraq theater from a year to 15  
months, and how veterans are treated once they return to the U.S.

"Fund The Wounded, Not The War" is a favorite slogan. He said "the best  
way to support the troops is to bring them home."

To sign up for the Chicago trip, e-mail Shara Esbenshade at  
esbenshduni.uiuc.edu

"There's massive support for this rally," Kruse said. "Locally, we hope  
to get people who are interested in speaking out about changing the way  
the war on terrorism is fought. We want to show our dissatisfaction  
with the strategy of the Bush administration."

He said part of the counter-rally idea is to let people know anti-war  
activists support the troops, but do not support the policies President  
Bush has chosen to employ in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"The American public should be working to impeach Bush; that would be a  
way to support troops. Instead of supporting him, we ought to be  
working to change the way we fight the war," Kruse said.
  Find this article at:
   
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/2007/10/24/ 
local_event_planned__in_conjunction_with
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